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John Cooper Clarke to speak at one of Greater Manchester’s most legendary venues

Not one to miss.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 16th May 2025

Legendary poet and spoken word artist John Cooper Clarke is set to host a special evening at Salford Lads and Girls Club this summer.

The one-off evening with the brilliant ‘Bard of Salford’ and Doctor of Arts marks one of the first and most significant public events at the local institution since it was saved from collapse late last year.

Returning next month, the iconic poet, author, and cultural icon will take centre stage for an intimate in-conversation event with respected BBC broadcaster, Nihal Arthanayake – now based in Greater Manchester – sharing stories from his extraordinary career.

With more than five decades of tales to tell, it’s one you don’t want to miss.

As per an official press release, “This special fundraising event will support Salford Lads Club, helping to maintain its historic building and fund vital projects for young members.”

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Cooper Clarke last visited the influential community centre and club, which has helped give stars to so many important figures from around the area, back in 2023 as part of a ceremony to name him an Honorary Freeman by Salford City Council.

The latest homecoming also comes not too long after his record-breaking performance at the Co-op Live arena this past March, performing to the largest-ever audience for a poet in the UK.

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Rather fittingly, he will be interviewed by Nihal once again, having already spoken to the 76-year-old for part of his award-winning BBC Headliners podcast series.

He’s also known for his insightful and incisive cross-examinations, meaning he’ll be more than up to the challenge of sitting across the JCC.

Credit: Supplied/Audio North

In the latter half of the night, Nihal will also speak with Clarke’s long-time friend and manager, Phil Jones, a renowned music promoter for nearly half a century and a long-time JCC collaborator.

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As is the case with most of these kinds of intimate conversations evenings, there will be Q&A portion where John will be answering selected questions submitted by the audience. There will also be plenty of opportunities to grab a souvenir, be it John’s latest book or SLCAGC merch.

Laura Slingsby, CEO of Salford Lads Club, said of the event: “We are incredibly excited to welcome John back to his hometown for this unique evening. His connection to Salford is legendary, and this event promises to be a truly special occasion for fans old and new.

“Nihal is the perfect choice to interview John, and we look forward to showing him around our wonderful venue” – us too.

Taking place on Wednesday, 11 June, tickets go live today (Friday, 16 May) at 10am. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shots (supplied)/Bryan Ledgard (via Flickr)

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Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Wolf Alice Manchester gig tickets 2025

Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.

The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.

Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.

The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.

Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.

The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.

Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.

Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”

“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”

Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.

What do you make of their new direction?

General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.

It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.

You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.

Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Shots (supplied)

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Swinton’s FREE festival full of live music, food, and ‘family fun’ returns later this month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A popular festival full of pop-up live music, performance, food, drink, and family fun is back in Swinton later this month.

Returning to the Salford town for the third year running at some of Swinton’s favourite venues and well-known locations, Swinton Sounds – which is a collaboration between Salford City Council and From The Other – is all about celebrating the local area and its vibrant community.

Throughout the weekend, local venues will welcome a lineup of Greater Manchester’s best musicians and DJs in a programme curated by the team behind the Sounds from the Other City festival.

Local venues including Swinton Grand Palais, The Swinton Hop House, and The Wobbly Stool, as well as Swinton Square, and the beautiful Victoria Park, are just some of the places residents can head to around town to catch all the action.

Swinton Sounds is back later this month / Credit: Salford City Council

Kicking off on Friday 30 May and running through to Sunday 1 June, Swinton Sounds will launch at the historic Grand Palais with a dancefloor-filling set from Untold Orchestra, with unique takes on dance songs from all the best decades, so expect disco, funk, soul, and lots of shuffle-inducing surprises.

Some of the other stand-out musical performances across the weekend come from the likes of Soul artist Yemi Bolatiwa, Ghana-born, Manchester-raised contemporary guitarist and composer Rory A. Green, and R&B, Gospel, and Neo Soul fusing singer-songwriter Kiké.

Away from the music, festivalgoers will also be able to catch a visually-striking performance piece from the UK’s leading makers and creators of outdoor arts, theatre, and spectacle in the public realm, Walk the Plank – inspired by the nesting birds found around the waterways of Salford.

Throughout the weekend, local venues will welcome a lineup of Greater Manchester’s best musicians / Credit: Supplied

Craft-based family fun will also be provided by Manchester’s Little Artists, while Swinton’s-own Arts Let Loose will be inviting kids to dance and create to music under UV lights.

Clay and craft workshops for the all the family will come courtesy of Clay Life, and Salford Mad Pride will be in town to promote creativity, arts, nature, and community connection for wellbeing, all while celebrating the unique talents of those who struggle with mental health.

If you’re feeling a bit peckish, Fratellis will be providing the pizza, and local bars, The Wobbly Stool and The Swinton Hop House will be running pop-up bars. 

Further refreshments will be served from The Hive community hub.

There’ll also be lots of food and family-friendly entertainment over the three days / Credit: Supplied

“Swinton has plenty to celebrate, and has the potential to be one of the best places to live in Greater Manchester,” commented Councillor Jack Youd, who is the Deputy City Mayor at Salford City Council.

“Local people have told us they want to see a more vibrant Swinton, with more going on and more reasons for people to visit and spend their leisure time in the area, so this exciting weekend of activities is part of a programme of events developed in response to that community ambition, and it’s a great opportunity for people to explore the town and experience something new.”

Read more:

Swinton Sounds will take over Swinton for three days at the end of this month from Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June, and all events are free to take part in.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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